Cebu City Health laments small P20-M budget this year

The Cebu City Health Office said it foresees a hard year ahead of them after the City Council only approved P20 million of its proposed P133 million budget for drugs and medicines.

Cebu City Health Officer Stella Ygonia said she will prioritize the purchase of drugs and medicines for dengue and diarrhea, two of the highest numbers of cases recorded last year.

City Health records show that a total of 4,371 cases of diarrhea with 37 deaths were reported to their office last year while there were 1, 866 dengue cases and 13 deaths.

Ygonia said the two diseases were prevalent due to the constant raining last year.

Ygonia said she will also prioritize supplementation for pregnant mothers as they need iron for a healthy pregnancy.

“We are within the minimum budget that we need and it is still deficient. We are expected to have a hard time (in implementing our programs),” she said.

The City Health Office had a P19-million budget for medicine last year and about P5 million in supplemental appropriation.
Despite this the council noted in its budget hearing last year that several medical supplies have yet to be fully consumed.
To help them ensure the delivery of basic health services, they pan to ask the barangay officials to help purchase medicines for their respective health centers.

Ygonia said they would also try to get a supplemental appropriation from the city council.

“We would have wanted to provide medicines to our target (population) but with the limited budget we have, we will now be limited to providing medicine to those who are sick,” she said in a press briefing yesterday. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac